Earlier this year, I had continual problems with my gas hot water system. As I am a hygiene freak this was extremely distressing for me. Cold showers or strip washes just don’t cut the mustard, especially in the winter months. I now have a new appreciation for the luxury of a hot shower, which I previously took for granted. But this inconvenience made me realise that I could not cope with living on the street or in a third-world country where there is no electricity or running water. Really, what was I complaining about!
There are a lot of little annoying things in a Westerner’s life:
- Umbrellas that turn inside out when they’re most needed. Why can’t someone invent something better?
- Queuing for public female toilets while men have the same number of cubicles. Architects/designers please take note and design public spaces with more female loos. Then there’s the lack of soap – UGH!
- Voice recognition software that doesn’t recognise your voice.
- Telemarketers that ring just as you’re having dinner or watching your favourite TV show.
- Mobile phones – everything about them is annoying. You forget your recharger, the phone runs dead. Why can’t all phone rechargers be uniform? Voicemail messages that cost money to retrieve. Why didn’t the person just text me? People with no phone etiquette that take days to reply to a text or missed call? No reception. Screens that crack. If they can make such sophisticated phone software why can’t they produce phones where the screens don’t break? People recording rock concerts with their phones instead of actually enjoying the gig.
- Flight delays and airport software that goes down causing chaos. Why is there no backup system?
- Vacuum hoses that split.
- The must-have Christmas present for your partner or child that is out of stock.
The list could go on but these aren’t real problems; they’re just inconveniences or trivial matters.
I watched a lady the other day complaining about having to buy a present for a family member who lived interstate. Where was her Christmas spirit? Having worked as a shop assistant I have often been at the raw end of customers being very rude and unhappy at this time of year. It takes away a lot of the enjoyment of the festive season. Let’s remember the real meaning of Christmas. This Christmas when you’re stressing about Christmas shopping please give a thought to those that have so little and consider giving the gift of a charity donation. Let’s celebrate how lucky we are to be citizens of the first world rather than being materialistic, gluttonous and grumpy about Christmas shopping.
Merry Christmas and peace and happiness to all!
“Giving: The Real Meaning of Christmas” from A Girl Must Shop. Used with permission